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Former Member, New York State Committee of the Independence Party (73rd AD - Eastside Manhattan) and Former Member, New York City Independence Party Organizations - Manhattan Executive Committee and County Committee, representing the 73rd AD.

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Tuesday, May 9, 2017

NH Senate Republicans Pass SB 3 Voter Domicile Bill

The New Hampshire State Senate Republicans voted to pass SB 3, an ACT relative to verify a Domicile for voting in the State and at the proper Polling location.

The Bill intent, in the words of prime Sponsor Senator Regina Birdsell (R), is to stop the magic “highway between Massachusetts and our polling places” that President Trump falsely claims cost both him and former U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte (R) a win in New Hampshire.

“Republican State Sen. Regina Birdsell, who represents Derry, Windham, and Hampstead, argued that Voter Law must be re-examined, especially strengthening Residency Requirements. “Our same-day registration laws have been opened up to the point that it’s basically a highway between Massachusetts and our polling places as far as I’m concerned,” Birdsell said.

President Trump’s claims have been refuted near and far. Governor Sununu made similar Bus claims in late October before walking them back. Instead, he says he “wants to work with President Donald Trump’s administration to ‘learn of any evidence they may have.’” New Hampshire Towns and Cities are now actively calling on Sununu to stand up for the Integrity of New Hampshire’s Electoral system.

“Governor Sununu is enabling Trump to make these baseless claims, while Senate Republicans passed SB 3 based on this same damaging rhetoric even though Senate President Chuck Morse readily admits there is no problem. Politicians shouldn’t pass Bills that jeopardize fundamental voting Rights because of propaganda or the rants of sore losers,” said Zandra Rice Hawkins, Executive Director of Granite State Progress. “Sununu and Republican leaders in the Senate and House can prove they respect the integrity of New Hampshire’s elections by once and for all making it clear President Trump is off-base and that there is absolutely no wide-spread voter fraud here. Promoting SB 3 amounts to nothing more than feeding the hype and is a thinly veiled political attempt to target real Granite State voters who might vote differently than these politicians want.”

Public hearing testimony on SB 3 was overwhelmingly in Opposition to the Bill, and included opposition from Election Law Experts, Voting Rights Advocates, Impacted Voters, and Municipal Officers.

Major problems identified included:

- SB 3’s use of a Poll Tax by requiring a Financial Exchange for many of the “Verifiable Acts” for Voting.

- SB 3’s use of a Literacy Test, by using a lengthy Form and Language that even long-time Election Experts deemed confusing.

- SB 3’s chilling effect on Voter Participation by threatening Voters with a $5,000 Fine and having Police Officers sent to their door just for failing to return Paperwork within 10 days, even if there was no legal problem with their Registration in the first place.